Stocking-supporter



(No Model.)

I. V FORD.

. STOCKING SUPPORTER. No. 304,718. Patented Sept. 9, 1884.

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CZW MW Nrrn STATES ATENT IUFFICE.

ISAAC v. ronn, or rrnoy, NEW YORK.

I STOCKlNG-SUPPORTER.

ESPEQIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,718, dated September 9, 1884.

I Application filed July 17, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC V. FORD, a resident of the city of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and .State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stocking-Holders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

My invention relates to improvements in stocking-holders; and it consists of a hook so arranged as to form a converging slot between the hook and its shank, also of one or more slots or bars in the shank adapted to receive a piece of webbing or similar meansof support for the hook..

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a cheaply-constructed stocking-holder that may be easily and quickly attached and detached in the most convenient manner second, to easily and quickly attach the holder to a supportingstrip of fabric in such a man ner that it is easily adjustable to different po sitions thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of my improved holder. Fig. 2 is a plan View of same attached by its shank to a piece of webbing, and by its hook to a portion of a stocking or other wearing-apparel. Fig. 3 is an edge view of parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the method of at taching the holder to a stocking and a modified form of shank. Fig. 5 is an edge view showing the method of attaching the holder, having only one slot in the shank to its supporting-webbing.

A is a projecting hook,which, in connection with the shank 0, forms the converging slot 13, in which a fold, d, of the stocking F is caught and forced down toward the narrow and converging bottom, where it is firmly retained by the edges of the hook and shank.

The shank O is provided with slots a, through which one end of a piece of webbing, D,is introduced in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which secures the holder firmly upon the webbing. The webbing may be introduced by first inserting one end down through the lower slot a nearest the hook and up again just through the middle slot. The other end of the webbing is then inserted down through the upper slot and drawn tightly through. The friction of the webbing upon itself and the bars cbetween the slots is sufficient to prevent the webbing from being disengaged from the holder by any pull upon the end last inserted in the slot.

WVhen desired, only one slot need be used, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in which case one end of the webbing is passed up through the slot and the other up around the bar I) and past the inserted end, as shown in Fig. 5, the

r friction being sufficient to retain the holder in place, as before described, when there is tension upon the webbing.

If it is desired to change the position of the holder upon the webbing, it is only necessary to relieve the webbing ofits tension and slide the holder up or down upon the webbing, and it will remain where put as soon as the tension is restored, which is always the case when the holder is put to use in supporting the stocking.

To attach the holder to the stocking, a small fold in the stocking is taken up by the thumb and finger g g, as shown in Fig. 4, and the hookpassed around the fold and under the thumb and finger,when it is certain to engage a portion of the fold between itself and the shank within the converging slot B, where it is firmly held, as shown in Fig. 2, and as before described.

I am aware of the construction of an ovalshaped concavaconvex metallic tag having a curved slot adapted to receive and secure a binding-cord; also of stocking-holders provided with a converging slot adapted to receive a fold in the stocking, the slot being inclosed on every side by the shank and projecting arms. Noneof the constructions heretofore employed were provided with a hook, A, adapted to pass around the raised stock'- ing-fold between the raising thumb and finger and the garment, to be easily and quickly secured thereto.

All the holders heretofore known or employed made it necessary to take up a large fold in the garment that should be elevated above the thumb and finger sufficiently to proj ect up through and above the loop or enlarged slot-opening of the holder while the latter rests upon the upper side of the fold-raising thumb and finger, from which position it is slid along against the apex of the fold until. the latter enters the slot. Several attempts are frequently required to secure any part of the fold within the slot, and the material being flexible and the apex of the fold without support, the act of sliding the holder upon it, itself serves to depress it and only a small portion of the fold is secured in the slot, from which it is apparent that any undue strain upon the garment will cut or tear the small fold and injure or release the garment. By employing my improved holder provided with the hook A and single-armed shank O, the apex of the fold is firmly held by thethumb and finger, while the hook is slid in between the finger and the garment, bringing the thicker part of the fold surely and firmly into the slot. It is unnecessary, therefore, to raisealarge fold, which it is frequently impossible to do in a closely-fitting garment, and the holder can be easily and quickly attached on the first attempt and without watching the operation with the eyes.

My holder is equally well adapted for use upon dresses, skirts, or under-garments.

-1'ng downwardly-extcnding arms which unite at their lower ends only to form a narrow upwardly-diverging slotopening between said arms, the shank also having one or more transversely-elongated slots adapted to receive a strip of webbing or supporting band, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A stocking or other garment holder made 7 of a single piece of flat sheet metal and provided with a hook, the point of which projects to one side of a narrow downwardly-converging slot-opening formed between the hooksupporting shankarm and the hook, adapted to receive a garment fold, also with a bar projecting transversely from the the shank adapt ed to receive a supporting web or band, in combination with said webor band, substautially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand this 11th (lay of July, 188i.

ISAAC V. FORD. \Vitnesses:

Gno. A. Mosnnir, JOHN T. Boo'ru. 

